Common Compounds:
* Oxygen: Barium readily reacts with oxygen to form barium oxide (BaO), a white solid. This reaction is so vigorous that barium is often stored under oil or an inert atmosphere to prevent it from reacting with air.
* Halogens: Barium reacts vigorously with halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine) to form halides such as barium fluoride (BaF₂), barium chloride (BaCl₂), barium bromide (BaBr₂), and barium iodide (BaI₂).
* Water: Barium reacts violently with water to produce barium hydroxide (Ba(OH)₂) and hydrogen gas.
* Acids: Barium reacts with acids to form barium salts and hydrogen gas.
* Sulphur: Barium reacts with sulphur to form barium sulphide (BaS).
* Carbon: Barium can react with carbon to form barium carbide (BaC₂).
Less Common Compounds:
* Nitrogen: Barium can form nitrides like barium nitride (Ba₃N₂) under specific conditions.
* Phosphorus: It can also form compounds with phosphorus like barium phosphide (Ba₃P₂).
Note: Barium compounds are often toxic, so handling them requires caution.
Important Considerations:
* The reactivity of barium makes it difficult to find it in its pure elemental form.
* The exact conditions (temperature, pressure, presence of catalysts) can influence which compounds are formed.
In summary, barium can be combined with a wide variety of elements to form a multitude of compounds, many of which are important in various industrial and scientific applications.
